Frozen fish boxes being unloaded from a trawler. (Photo Credit: Julieta Fonterosa/Copyright: FIS)
Fishing exports and imports drop
SPAIN
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) reported that in 2013 seafood exports fell 4.53 per cent in relation to those in 2012, and imports fell by 1.28 per cent.
According to the latest report on foreign trade of fishery and aquaculture products developed by the Government, shipments abroad increased from 1,004,698 tonnes -- in 2012 -- to 959,203 tonnes -- in 2013 --.
Besides, the balance sheets of imports were also negative, changing from 1,494,424 tonnes to 1,475,236 tonnes.
Most imports came from third countries; and most of the exports were sent to the European Union (EU), a bloc that concentrated two thirds of the sales outside the Spanish fishing sector.
In 2013, the community nations supplied the Spanish fishing sector with 411,568 tonnes.
And the same countries received more than 600,000 tonnes of Spanish fisheries production.
At the same time, third countries sold more than one million tonnes of fisheries and aquaculture resources to Spain last year whereas their purchases in Spain were only a third of that amount: 339,245 tonnes.
On the other hand, sales abroad totalled EUR 2,905 million and imports amounted to USD 4,800 million.
MAGRAMA document adds that per product groups, both frozen and canned fish offered negative export values: 8 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.